N7's
by Kris009
Summary: A recounting of The Reaper War as seen by a squad of N7's. Independent from the events of ME3. Some mature language.
1. Razor Squad

N7's are the best of the best in the Alliance military. Their skill, experience, and dedication are unsurpassed in the Alliance. During The Reaper War squadrons of N7's were deployed to areas that needed to be held or that needed to be taken. Each squad was hand picked based on each individual's strengths, weaknesses, personal history, psychological profile, and service record. To achieve victory each member of a squad needs to be at their best at all times. They need to work flawlessly with each other. One mistake could cost more than just their lives. Failure is never an option for an N7.

After The Reaper War the Alliance News Network got permission to do a story on an N7 squad that fought in the war. They chose Razor Squad. A six man squad that faced numerous challenges on and off the battlefield.

Victor N7 Destroyer

"Jacque get your French ass back here! Fuck! Alright Vanessa cover that flank. And hope he doesn't get us killed."

"Victor an American, he was an idiot at the best of times and an ass at the worst. I went to high school with him. Well not "with" him but we went to the same school. He was a senior when I was a freshman. We never met but he was a hard person to miss.

Me? I blended into the background. Every time I saw him he was always surrounded by people. They worshipped him. I just thought he was an idiot who needed other people to tell him how important he was.

After he graduated he was still the talk of the school. I heard he had joined the Alliance. When I heard that I smiled and thought that it would be a rude awakening for him. They were going to whip his holier-than-thou attitude right out of him. The next time I saw him was seven years later at the villa. That's what we call the academy in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

We were both there for basic N1 training. He had no idea who I was and I was all too aware of who he was. But he was different, I figured that military life had changed him into a decent human being. That or he had seen much over the years.

He was still a joker but he wasn't as confident as I remembered. I thought it was a good thing. He tried to hit on me when we met. You want to know how he introduced himself to me? He walked over to me and said "Hey, name's Victor. That's short for Victory, cause I always get it done." I just smiled and let him believe I didn't know who he was.

We talked, well he talked I just pretended to believe all the bullshit he was telling me. He told me about being at this post or that one and how dangerous they were. I couldn't believe a word he said. I let on that I knew him when he started telling me stories about high school. I had heard all of them even the embarrassing ones.

He shut up real quick when he figured out I knew who he was. I had a good laugh at the expression on his face when he realized his "charm" wasn't going to work on me. We talked a few times while we were there when we could. It was a brutal two months but we both survived and graduated and received our N1 ranks.

After basic he reported back for duty. I went back to school. Became an engineer got a good job in a nice city. I was comfortable, I believed my time in the Army was over. I didn't hear anything about Victor. I didn't think much about him either.

Years had passed since basic. I was only at my job for a year when I got the invitation from the academy to return to the villa for more training. I didn't know what I wanted to do. It wasn't a no-brainer for me like it was for others.

I thought long and hard about it and then I thought about Victor. It was a matter of wanting to stay where I was and have an easy life or going back and becoming something more. I guess he had had an influence on me cause I went back.

I knew I could handle the training. I rose through the ranks eventually earning my N6 rank but to earn the N7 you had to put all that training to use. They throw you into a real combat situation and tell you to get the job done.

You either succeed and prove you have what it takes or you "fail" and prove that you never had what it took. It was scary but I got it done and when I put on my uniform with the N7 staring back at me I couldn't have been prouder.

To become an N7 they put you through hell. And the only thing you're thinking of during that time is getting through it alive. But when you become an N7 it becomes your job to go through hell.

When I received my squad assignment I only knew where to go. I didn't know who'd be there. So when I got there I reported in and to my surprise there standing in a Commander's uniform was Victor.

I stood at attention and saluted, I also smiled a little. All he said was "This is going to be fun." It was nice to see him again I couldn't believe after all those years we'd be serving in the same squad and he'd be my CO."

Vanessa N7 Demolisher

"Do you people have any idea how complicated these pylons are to fix?! They are the result of the greatest engineers working together to develop a device that can resupply an entire squad. It requires an advanced knowledge of mechanical engineering just to set up let alone take apart, fix, and reassemble. Even harder when bullets are flying all around you. So everyone just get off my back! (a few seconds later) Oh I forgot to turn it on...shut up."

"Vanessa, you know when she told me we went to the same school I stayed up many nights trying to remember if I ever saw her. I guess I was too focused on what was right in front of me that I never took the time to look around and enjoy the scenery, if you know what I mean.

I only found out about her service record when I was given command of the squad. She had a few commendations. Bravery, heroism, valor those kind of things. Nothing really stood out that said she was an extraordinary marine.

She just did her job and did it well enough to be noticed by the right people I guess. When I saw her at N-school she was the most beautiful girl I had ever seen. I had to meet her.

If it had been any other girl I swear she would've fallen for me right then and there. But she was confident in herself and she had the advantage of knowing who I was before then. So I had to change my tactics. And sure enough it worked.

She might say there's nothing between us but she wouldn't have stuck around me if that was the case. We talked a few times while we were there. She wanted to hear the stories that she had heard about me from my own mouth. I set the records straight.

She told me that in high school she was the kind of girl that was easy to not notice. She didn't fit in anywhere. She told me that she joined the military because she wanted to feel more confident in herself. The military made her feel like she belonged to something more than herself.

She also said that I didn't seem as confident as I did back then. If you think about it it becomes kind of creepy. We were complete opposites in school and I lost a little of my confidence during my service and she gained some.

Then we end up in the same squad. It seems too coincidental to me. Like some divine power is playing matchmaker. I can only hope now can't I? Where was I? Oh right N-school. We did our time there then we split paths.

I went back to serve and she chose a civilian life. It was nice getting back into the action. The respect you get when you've survived the villa is enough to make it worth it. But to have the combat training and leadership skills from the academy that's what it's all about.

My CO's would come to me for tactical advice on certain situations and then let me lead a squad of soldiers through the shit. So you can bet your ass when I got that letter to return to the academy I was on the next shuttle out.

I didn't know Vanessa had gone back though. So after earning my N7 rank it came as a complete surprise. The night before I got my squad assignment one of the top brass came to me. He told me that I would be in command of the squad that they had hand picked.

He gave me the service records, psych profiles, and personal background of each member of the squad. So when I saw Vanessa's name on those papers I completely flipped my shit. I was excited but also nervous.

I was in charge of this squad. Their lives were in my hands and so was hers. I admit I began to doubt myself. But I had to relax and not worry about what could happen. I was an N7 after all. That night I hardly slept. My mind was racing.

Eventually the morning came I got ready for orientation. And when she walked through that door and reported in. Oh I just couldn't help myself. Screw worrying and fear. I had my girl back and everything was going to be just fine."

Jacque N7 Slayer

"You know I did what was necessary that's why you won't charge me with insubordination or desertion. So shut up and act like the commander you think you are instead of some whiny brat who didn't get her way."

"Jacque is an ass plain and simple. Not like Victor who's just an idiot. Jacque's arrogant. He thinks he's the best, he thinks he knows everything. The only problem is that it's true. We all know it and that's why we hate him. But we kept him around because we needed him.

I don't know what we did to deserve him in our squad but we all must've pissed someone off enough to be stuck with him. One night I snuck into Victor's quarters and took a peek at everyone's service records.

I don't know if I'm at liberty to say what I found but I don't care. When I looked at Jacque's file I was amazed at how many commendations he had but even more shocked at the number of citations that covered his record. I mean he had some pretty serious charges against him. Treason, desertion, insubordination, conduct unbecoming of an officer, the list goes on. Now I might not respect the chain of command but I'm not stupid enough to do that kind of crap.

The only reason I could think of for him to not be in the stockades is that he has a friend high up the chain that dismisses any charges against him. Must be nice having an admiral watching over you. But I guess it's a two way street, as long as he gets the job done he doesn't have to worry about following protocol and procedures.

That's fine if he's working alone but he was put on a team and not following orders gets people killed. But that's another thing I found surprising. Every squad he'd been a part of never lost a soldier. Not one casualty. Now I don't know about you but I didn't believe it. Everyone has seen at least one squad mate die in battle.

It just doesn't seem possible that he could serve for so long and on so many squads without losing a single man. At first I thought it was a fabrication. That his file was cleaned up so any of his CO's wouldn't question his methods.

But they wouldn't lie about something like that. Not to an N7 Commander. After I found that out I kept an eye on him. He acts like he doesn't need us. Like he'd be better off on his own but now that I knew he doesn't let people die I had a new found respect for him.

I knew then, that whenever Victor cracked the whip on him it was just for show. He knows Jacque doesn't abandon his squad mates. It's just his attitude that really gets on his CO's nerves."

Maritza N7 Shadow

"Just shut the fuck up! I don't need your help. I didn't ask for it. I can do this on my own. If you want to help someone I think Victor's filling out your transfer papers."

"All I knew about Maritza was that she was from some Latin American country. I didn't really care. All I cared about was that she could do her job. She could do it well enough to survive in a squad but if she was alone she'd never have made it.

She's too reckless, her sword strikes are wild and uncontrolled. I see the squad as an extension of myself. If they are not at their best then I am not at mine. I tried to help her use thought and precision with her mono-molecular sword but she refused to listen. I told her raw strength isn't what makes the blade effective.

When I watched her practice I could tell that her head wasn't clear. Her mind was racing and it clouded her focus. That's why she struck with so much force. When I pointed this out to her and offered to show her how it's done she just told me to fuck off.

I saw her potential so I wasn't going to give up on her. One thing that did amaze me was her skill with a sniper rifle. She could hit a target a hundred yards away with the wind blowing and gun shots going off around her. I couldn't believe that the same person who could have such concentration could also be so reckless. I found the right angle to get her to listen to me.

I used her sniping as an example of how I am when I'm in the shit with my sword. I told her that I zone out that I turn off my audio emulators and just focus on where I want my sword to hit. On the battlefield you can't just charge the enemy with your sword and hope you kill them.

You have to flow with the tide of battle. You must feel the rhythm of your heart beating and time your strikes appropriately. After I told her this she just told me to fuck off. But I was as stubborn as she was. I admit I saw her as a project that I needed to work on instead of an actual human being but as I said her failures were my failures.

It just bothered me to no end. I tried and I tried to get her to listen but she wouldn't. I had fought with many people over the years and I didn't allow a single one to fall. Because I was dedicated to each squad.

It may not have been obvious, it may not have been by the books but I know that because of my actions each man and woman I have fought with got to go home after each mission. I know I don't have the best reputation as a team player but I'm invested in each squad I'm apart of.

So that's why I was so obsessed with getting Maritza to realize her full potential. We fought side by side throughout the war. She had her tactics I had mine and we both survived."

Geoffrey N7 Paladin

"It's not a death wish. It's a desire to ensure all of you make it through this alive. If that means my death then so be it."

"Geoffrey's is a sad story. He's a protector. He'd die for just about anyone. He doesn't talk much. I'm the only one he really talked to. It's amazing that he's managed to keep it together after so many years of serving. He's seen so much death and suffering.

He was born on Earth but his family moved out to one of the colonies when he was fifteen. They lived in a small farming community. He worked on his parents' farm and eventually he got himself a girlfriend. He said they were a good couple. Her parents liked him and his parents liked her. It was a good life.

But when he was nineteen, one night he was in the town buying some things for his girlfriend's parents, some idiot was drunk, broke into their house, killed them. Geoffrey was the one who found them dead. I couldn't imagine how he felt, how he dealt with that kind of thing.

It would take a remarkably strong man to move on from that. He and his parents moved back to Earth after that. He joined the international guard sometime after returning. He wanted to do some good in the world.

He wanted to protect people who couldn't protect themselves. It was an honorable notion but it only exposed him to more atrocities that we sometimes forget humans are capable of.

He started as an enlisted man but in a short amount of time he had been through so much and survived it all he quickly earned commendations and rose through the ranks. Eventually making officer and being slotted for N training.

He got through basic just fine and went back to the guard after. When he got the invitation to return he debated whether or not he should go back. If he went back and survived he'd have to serve for as long as he was needed.

He didn't know if he could handle seeing the horrors that no doubt existed in the galaxy. I don't know why he went back I don't even think he knows why he did. He may be the only N7 who regrets ever becoming one, it's not as glamorous as it looks. Especially for him. But he went back did the training and got his N6.

Now the live combat training they put you through is different for everyone. Sometimes if the opposition is strong enough they'll give you a squad to lead through it. If they think you can handle it alone they'll send you in by yourself.

Geoffrey's mission was to enter a colony that had a small mercenary gang using it as a base of operations. And put an end to the drug trafficking and arms smuggling. Seems simple enough but the intel they had was off. Someone somewhere screwed up and Geoffrey paid for it.

They overlooked one important detail. This gang was shipping its goods out that day so a pick up team was coming in. Things went to shit fast. The shuttle dropped him off outside the colony. Nothing suggested that he was walking into a bullet storm.

They must've had eyes on him since he touched down cause as soon as he got inside the city shots were fired. He did the only thing he could duck and cover. There were civilians in the streets but the mercs didn't care. Some were hit, some got out.

Geoffrey was the only one who could do anything and even that was limited. He called for backup but they had none for him. It was a bloodbath.

Eventually the gang packed up and left. It was a complete failure but it wasn't Geoffrey's fault. He did manage to survive and kill some of the mercs. The board didn't know what to do with him. They probably wished that he had died, it would have made things simpler.

He told me that it would've been a good death. But he didn't so the board decided to give him his N7 designation and his first order was to not breathe a word about what happened to anyone.

You won't find any reports about that mission in any archive but Geoffrey didn't care about the academy's reputation all he cared about were the people that lost their lives because he wasn't strong enough.

I'm the first person he talked about it with. And now when this story airs everyone will know about it. But I doubt anyone will care about something that happened years ago when we so recently survived against the Reapers."

Kiyono N7 Fury

"I can do this. Just give me a minute. I'm okay. I'm okay. I'm okay. God I'm not okay."

"Kiyono's a nice girl. She's young but she's smart. She wasn't prepared for the horrors that we faced in the war. I don't think any of us were but it hit her exceptionally hard. But she kept moving on.

She was extremely disciplined when we were on the ground. But after the fact it showed that she was barely hanging on. While you're fighting you're not thinking you're just doing. But when you're not fighting, you're thinking and that's when you're in real trouble.

You become your own worst enemy because you begin to fear and doubt. I don't think I have to tell you what that does to a soldier. Though she never gave in to despair and I envy her for that. I guess she has her parents to thank for her resolve.

She was born into a strict military family. Enlisted with Japan's Marine Corps when she was sixteen. As a biotic she was a valuable asset. The military's really the only place where biotics are fully accepted.

She was fortunate that by the time she received biotic training humanity already had a firm understanding of how biotics worked. She was molded into a perfect biotic soldier. Despite being a part of the military since birth she has a great personality.

Something that came in handy almost as much as her biotics. Whenever things were tense off the battlefield she could always lighten the mood just by being there. She saved me.

Every soldier needs his own reason to fight. Mine was Kiyono. I couldn't let anything happen to her. Without her I may not have found my will to live and fight.

Before the war my reason to fight was just to protect anyone I could. But it was impossible to protect anything from the Reapers. I needed to find a new reason to keep fighting.

Razor squad was formed two years before the war. We had fought together but we never came together as more than just squad mates. We were all in the same ship during the war so it was only natural to cling to each other until it was over.

And I knew Kiyono would need protection from the horrors of the war but I also know you can't protect them forever."


	2. A Tough Decision

Each mission a squad received during the war came down from the top. The squad that would receive a mission depended on who was available and how fast they could get boots on the ground. Razor Squad's orders came from Major Tylre Richards.

They spent the majority of the war on the Carrier class ship SSV Van Gogh. It was a base of operations for many squads. It drifted in Allied controlled space. Squad's would receive their orders there and depart on a UT-47A Kodiak shuttle.

"My toughest decisions to make during the war were deciding if I should proposition Vanessa before, during, or after a mission. Heh but in all seriousness there were a few decisions that only I could make a call on. As a leader you have to be ready for that responsibility. This one mission we had..."

Aboard the Van Gogh squads had their own designated living quarters. These areas consisted of a cabin for all personnel, a lounge, and a comm room. The cabins were large enough to fit a double sized bed, a desk, and have some room left over.

The lounge had its own mini kitchen, a large screen tv, and a sitting area. It also had a window into space. The cabins were connected to the lounge. Three on one side of the room and three on the other. The lounge was the only room with a door to the outside hallway. The comm room was at the end of the hallway. Each squad had their own.

When the ship was contacted and the caller needed to reach their squad a dispatcher would contact the squad leader and notify them of an incoming transmission then patch the caller through to their comm room.

After receiving their orders a squad would go down to the hangar and board a shuttle, giving the pilot the coordinates. The pilot would plot a course and they'd be off. If things went as planned the squad would complete their mission and then call in for evac.

When they returned to the Van Gogh the squad leader would call back their CO and give them their report and any other relevant information they had. After the debriefing the squad would unwind and wait for the next mission. Sometimes they'd be lucky enough to get some designated R'n'R or even a pass for some shore time on the Citadel.

Aboard the Van Gogh Victor and Vanessa were having a conversation in her cabin.

"C'mon why not?

"Because I don't think it's appropriate for a Commander to have anything but a professional relationship with his or her subordinates."

"But these could be our last days. What would you regret if you died tomorrow?"

"Spending the war listening to you."

"See that right there. That only encourages me to keep trying."

"Why don't you ever hit on Maritza or Kiyono?"

"Well I think Maritza would cut me if I even thought about hitting on her and Geoffrey would probably knock my teeth out if I ever hit on Kiyono."

*ping* *ping* *ping* Victor looked down. His omni-tool was flashing.

"Duty calls." Vanessa said.

"Commander incoming transmission from Major Richards. Patching it through." One of the ship's dispatchers relayed.

"Thank you Serviceman."

"Better luck next time, sir."

"Just get ready."

Victor got up from Vanessa's bed and entered the lounge. The rest of Razor Squad was sitting around not doing anything. When the door opened they all looked at Victor.

Maritza spoke "How'd it go, sir?"

Victor smiled and shook his head. "Get your heads on, I want you all geared and ready to go by the time I get back."

They all replied at once with a "Yes, sir." And went to their cabins and did their pre-mission rituals. Whether that be praying to a god or a loved one or just going through biotic combinations.

Victor left the lounge and entered the hallway. There were crewmen in the hall and as he passed by they all saluted him. He nodded to each one.

When he was out of ear shot they whispered to each other variations of "I like him, he knows when to be disciplined and when to be relaxed." For the crewmen they would never see the front lines of the war.

The only information they got about it came from the occasional news report or rumors. But one of the best ways to learn about how the war was going was to observe the soldiers that fought in it.

Their attitudes before and after missions were huge hints at how the war was turning out. And just for that reason Victor always put a good mood on around the enlisted men. He figured false hope was better than no hope at all.

Victor entered the comm room and Major Richards was already patched in.

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything Commander."

"No, sir."

"Good I got a job for you."

"No shit."

"I need you to go to the Citadel and pick up my dry cleaning. Time to put all that expensive training to use. Oh and on your way back stop at these coordinates.

Reapers invaded a few days ago. Just a scouting force. Anyone who didn't get off the ground was killed. I need you to enter the colony locate the target building and find an active computer. Some intel didn't get wiped when they invaded.

There may be some stragglers and its crucial that that intel does not fall into enemy hands. I'll send the specifics to your datapad. Get it done Commander."

"Yes sir."

"Richards out."

Victor left the comm room and headed back down to his room. When he entered the lounge his squad was standing at attention lined up just inside the door. They had their gear on with their helmets at their sides.

He nodded to them and they stood at ease. He went to his cabin and put his T5-V battlesuit on. Their weapons were in the armory which was located near the hangar. After they picked up their guns they headed to the shuttle. Victor handed the pilot the coordinates and everyone got in.

On their way to the colony Victor looked over the datapad and briefed everyone on the mission. It was an hour before they reached the planet's atmosphere. They had sat in silence for the entire trip.

The shuttle touched down on the outskirts of the colony, dropped them off, and took off. It was night time and the air was warm. Victor ordered them into formation.

The standard formation for Razor Squad was Geoffrey on point, Maritza on the right flank, Jacque on the left, Vanessa took rear guard, and Kiyono and Victor were center. They entered the colony and moved toward the target building. Everyone was alert and ready for anything.

The colony had been decimated by ground forces. Buildings were crumbled, streets were torn up, and vehicles were destroyed. They kept moving eventually they reached the building. They entered the ground floor which was just one big room.

The lights were off so they turned on their flashlights and scanned each cubicle slowly. Carefully moving through the dark they checked each computer looking for a functional one. None were working on the ground floor so they moved to the staircase.

They quietly climbed to the second level and entered into a hallway that went around the entire building. It had a windowed view of the ground floor and offices on the other side. To speed things up Victor split them into two teams.

He, Vanessa, and Geoffrey would be Razor One and they'd start to the left and work their way around counter clockwise and Jacque, Maritza, and Kiyono would be Razor Two and work the other way. And if one team found a computer they'd radio the other team.

About ten minutes after splitting up and still no sign of a working computer Razor One entered an office and when they swept the room with their flashlights they spotted something.

Movement from the far side of the room. They had had no contact from anything up until this point. Victor moved closer and when he got to the center of the room something popped out from behind a cubicle.

He immediately jumped back and shined his light on it. It was a man. He looked to be middle aged, he was wearing a shirt and tie, and his face was covered in what looked like bruises.

"Identify yourself now." Victor ordered.

"Sam Barry." The man replied "I work here."

"I'm Victor. What're you doing here? We were told everyone had been killed."

"When the Reapers came through, we hid. They didn't find us. I was trying to extract some important data so the Reapers can't get it."

"Our orders are to retrieve that data as well. Do you have it?"

"No I was trying to get it when you came in. I didn't know who or what you were so I hid."

"Alright we'll take it from here. Vanessa get the intel from the computer. Geoffrey radio Razor two, tell them we got it and have them rendezvous outside the room." Victor turned back to the man. "Are there more survivors?"

"Yes over here." Victor followed the man to an adjacent room and found four other survivors. When he entered the room he began to hear a quiet ringing noise in the back of his head. "We've been hiding here for a few days now. The Reapers came in, killed everybody else, then left."

"How did you evade being killed?"

"Luck I guess. We hid here and they didn't see us. They stuck around for awhile after the shooting stopped. But they eventually moved on. It took some time before we got enough courage to check outside."

"Why didn't you send a distress signal?"

"We had to make sure that intel wasn't left behind for the Reapers to find."

"But you said they had moved on."

"They might have returned."

Just then Vanessa signaled Victor back. Victor left the man and survivors in the room and went to Vanessa.

"You get the intel?" Victor asked.

"It's downloading. What's the guy's story?" Vanessa said in a whisper.

"When the Reapers invaded he and a few others hid while everyone else was killed. After the Reapers left they stayed here and tried to retrieve this intel so the Reapers wouldn't get it."

"What are you thinking?"

Geoffrey walked over to them just then.

"That Reapers don't make mistakes. That they don't miss anything."

"You think the Reapers found them?"

"I do. The guy seems a bit off. And I heard this high-pitched ringing in my head while I was talking to him. I think they're indoctrinated."

"That's a...that's a damning accusation."

"I know but I got this strange feeling when I was over there."

"So what are we gonna do?"

"What do you think we should do?"

Vanessa thought for a few seconds before replying. "If they truly are indoctrinated then I think it's best if we make sure they can't do any harm to anyone."

"Let's not beat around the bush. You're saying we should shoot them?"

She sighed "Yeah. I am."

"And what do you think Geoffrey?"

"I think there's no way of knowing one way or the other. What do we really know about indoctrination? Little to nothing. We can't just condemn these people to death based on a strange feeling. We're supposed to protect them from the Reapers not do their job for them. I say we let the scientists determine what to do with them."

"And what if they are indoctrinated and we let them live? We give them over to the Alliance and they find a way to sabotage us. I'm not saying it's something we should be proud of but it's the best option we have." Vanessa argued.

"I'm inclined to agree. It's safest to just end it here." Victor said.

"So that's it?! You hear a noise, so you jump to the conclusion that they're under Reaper control?!" Geoffrey said raising his voice.

"We had no intel that they were here. As far as we know they could've been behind this attack."

"Yeah because the Alliance always has the right intel. So we should just assume that since we didn't know about them, they're a danger to us?"

"I'm not willing to jeopardize an entire operation for..."

"For what? Human life? Last time I checked we were fighting for all life in the galaxy. Victor..."

"That's Commander."

"Don't throw your rank at me. I've been in this game a lot longer than you. I've seen things you can't even imagine."

"Geoffrey fall in line."

"If you're going to shoot them then do it yourself."

"I wouldn't order you to do something that I wouldn't do myself."

"Then go ahead."

Victor looked at Vanessa.

"I'm with you." She said.

Victor and Vanessa pulled out their sidearms and headed for the room with the five survivors. Geoffrey went to the exit. He was about to open the door when a shot went off.

Almost immediately the door opened and Jacque and Maritza ran in with their weapons ready. They both looked at Geoffrey and he pointed them in the direction of the shot. They lowered their weapons and headed for the room.

Then Kiyono ran through the door.

"Geoffrey what happened?"

"You don't want to know." He said blocking her path not wanting her to see what had been decided.

"Geoffrey tell me I..."

Two more shots went off and Kiyono pushed Geoffrey out of the way.

"Dammit." Geoffrey said to himself.

The final shots were fired by the time Kiyono got to the room. She ran in and stopped, staring at the corpses of five civilians.

"What did you do?" She asked turning to Victor.

"What I had to. Please don't question me Kiyono." He said softly. "Vanessa is that data ready?"

"Yeah, I got it."

"Then let's head out."

Razor squad left the building in silence and Victor radioed the shuttle. "Shuttle 209 this is Razor Squad requesting evac."

"Roger that Razor. ETA two minutes." The pilot responded.

As soon as the comm link dropped a high pitched shriek echoed in the distance.

"Ah shit." Victor said under his breath.

Razor squad drew their guns and prepared themselves for a firefight. They moved toward the extraction zone scanning the area. Another shriek this time it was closer and came from the direction they were headed.

"Let's go Razor!" Victor ordered. They all started to run.

"Shuttle 209, this is Razor, EZ is hot. Repeat EZ is hot."

"Copy that. ETA minute and a half. Be ready for extraction."

Before long they made contact with the enemy. They knew the drill. They dropped the enemies in the immediate vicinity and ran to the EZ. More were on the way. All they had to do now was hold out for the shuttle.

Victor activated his Hawk missile launcher and battle suit. Vanessa deployed her supply pylon. Geoffrey started charging his omni-shield. Kiyono warmed up the eezo nodules in her brain. Jacque unsheathed his mono-molecular blade and sidearm. Maritza grabbed her sniper rifle and found a small vantage point overlooking the area.

The EZ was on the outskirts of the town. There was little cover in the area so any enemies that entered needed to be put down fast. In a few short moments husks and cannibals entered the zone.

They were just cannon fodder. No need to use anything but guns on them. As more came the tougher units arrived. Marauders, Brutes, and Ravagers entered the fray. Everyone switched their focus to them except Maritza.

She was to make sure the Husks and Cannibals were taken care of as the rest of Razor dealt with the heavies. There were two Brutes, three Ravagers, and seven Marauders. It was imperative for them to deal with the Marauders first because they could buff the Husks and Cannibals with reinforced armor making Maritza's job a lot tougher.

To start Vanessa lobbed some arc grenades into a group of them. The grenades detonated and electricity arced between them removing their shields and leaving them vulnerable. As they were grouped together Kiyono opened a singularity amidst them.

As they were floating in the air helplessly she sent a mass of dark energy into the singularity causing an explosion of dark energy that sent the four of them flying through the air.

Geoffrey had been working on the other three. Using his omni-tool he drained the shields from the last three. When they were exposed he and Victor unloaded into them. Cutting them down almost immediately.

Jacque was focused on slowing down the Brutes. He had used his Phase Disruptor to terrorize them. Causing them to reel anytime he hit them.

When the Marauders were taken care of Victor and Vanessa shifted their focus to the Ravagers and Kiyono and Geoffrey aided Jacque in his efforts.

The Ravagers were behind the Brutes hoping the distance would save them. They were firing their missiles but luckily for Razor Squad they hadn't pinpointed their exact positions.

At that distance it was next to impossible for Victor and Vanessa to get a clear shot at them with their weapons.

Fortunately they had other means of dealing with opponents that stayed at a distance. Victor's Hawk missile launcher auto-locked on the Ravager to the left and fired. It hit but didn't kill it.

Vanessa launched one of her homing grenades at the Ravager on the right. With luck the grenade detonated on one of the Ravager's missile launchers crippling its firing capabilities.

With the incoming fire minimized Victor was able to line up a precision shot with his multi-fragmentation grenade launcher. The grenades arced over the Brutes and landed around the middle Ravager. The detonations killed the middle Ravager and the shrapnel cut through the other two killing them.

As the Brutes closed in Geoffrey fired an incineration blast from his omni-tool at the closest Brute. The blast set the Brute's armor alight. Then Jacque fired his Phase Disruptor at it causing a massive fire explosion. However after the smoke cleared the Brute was still standing. Jacque and Geoffrey then just shot it until it dropped.

Kiyono dealt with the other Brute. She warped the Brute's armor plating causing its integrity to degrade. With its armor weakened she threw a biotic missile into it which caused the dark energy already breaking down its armor to erupt with a deafening blast.

But Brutes are nothing if not resilient. The monstrosity was still standing and advancing. Kiyono moved away from the rest of the squad.

The Brute charged her and a second before crushing her she disappeared and reappeared five yards to the left. She then activated an annihilation field which essentially burns anyone who touches it with dark energy.

Now the Brute was being torn apart from within and without. The field started as a minor irritation to the Brute but as Kiyono began to concentrate on the dark energy particles emanating from her it grew in intensity until finally micro detonations went off all over the Brute. Eventually the Brute exploded with a biotic blast that Kiyono manipulated around her.

After the dust settled and Maritza sniped the last husk the shuttle pilot radioed in. "Have you on visual, Razor. Starting final approach."

It was a relief but Razor Squad was still on alert. The thing that made those shrieks hadn't appeared yet. The shuttle landed near their position and as soon as it did a gangly figure moved into view.

Razor Squad backed up toward the shuttle no one made any sudden moves. Then as loud as it could it screamed striking fear into all of them.

"Let's move!" Victor shouted snapping everyone out of their fear.

The Banshee charged itself and began biotic jumping. It closed fast. The barrier it had around itself protected it from any attacks other than bullets.

They didn't have time to line up any shots. All they could do was shoot and run. Victor made it to the shuttle first. He opened the hatch and motioned everyone inside.

Maritza was the first in and when she got in she activated her tactical cloak. For what reason nobody knew. When everyone was in, the Banshee was ten yards away.

Victor was about to close the door when Maritza spoke up. "Wait." She said.

Victor stopped and looked toward where she was standing cloaked. The Banshee jumped one last time and was only a few yards from the shuttle. It screamed again and then a flash went off and the Banshee fell silent.

Maritza had shot it in its open mouth. Not enough to kill it but enough to shut it up. Victor closed the door and they took off.

This was the time when the things that had happened replayed over and over in their heads. The five shots they had all heard and the five bodies they all had seen, save Geoffrey, were at the front of everyone's minds.

It was a long flight back to the Van Gogh. When the shuttle docked they returned to their quarters and Victor went to get a debriefing from Richards.

He walked down the hallway where a few crewmen were roaming. He had removed his helmet and held it in one hand. They stopped and saluted him when he passed. He didn't acknowledge them and he had a stern expression on his face.

He entered the comm room and contacted one of the ship's dispatchers to get a hold of the Major. Soon after Richards was patched in.

"How'd it go Commander?" He asked flatly.

"Well enough, sir." He started. "We landed and got to the building with no problems. Took awhile to find a working computer but we found one." He paused for a second. "And some survivors."

"Survivors? We had no knowledge that there were any. What was their condition? Did you get them out?"

Victor hesitated before responding. "Sir we had reason to believe they were under Reaper influence I made the decision to shoot them to avoid any incidents."

"Tell me exactly what happened Commander." Richards asked calmly.

Victor took a deep breath and began. "We got to the building and scoured the ground floor for a computer but found none. We then moved to the second story and I split Razor into two teams Geoffrey, Vanessa, and I searched one side and Jacque, Kiyono, and Maritza searched the other.

A few minutes later we entered a room and saw movement, it was a man. He said his name was Sam Barry and that he worked there. He was trying to download the intel to prevent the Reapers from getting it if they returned.

I ordered Vanessa to download it and Geoffrey to notify Razor two. I spoke to the man and he showed me where he and four others had hid while the Reapers killed everyone else.

Their conditions varied, he had bruises on his face. Some of the others only had torn clothes and a few scratches. While I was talking to him I heard a ringing sound in my head and got an uneasy feeling in my stomach.

Vanessa called me over and I told her how I felt. I told her and Geoffrey that I suspected the Reapers had found them. She proposed we shoot them and Geoffrey proposed we take them with us and give them over to the Alliance and let them decide what to do.

I thought it was safest to end it there. We got the data and returned to the extraction zone. A firefight ensued but we all got out unharmed."

Major Richards thought for a few seconds before responding. "I'm sure you did what you felt was necessary. I'll relay the details and the intel to high command."

"Sir, they begged for their lives. They pleaded for us not to shoot them but we did it anyways. Sir, did we do the right thing?"

"Victor I don't have the information to say if you did or not. I'm not going to say whether or not I agree with your decision but I respect it and I'll defer to your judgement. Just make sure your team is still all there. Upload the intel to me and take a few days off."

"Yes, sir." Victor said softly.

"Richards out." And the link dropped.

Victor plugged in the OSD with the intel on it and uploaded it to Richards. He stayed in the comm room for a few more minutes. Thinking over the events of the mission.

He'd have to have a talk with each member of his squad to make sure they were all still functional. He knew they would be but he was beginning to worry if he was.


End file.
